MARTINA FRANCA – The G7 is an informal intergovernmental group that brings together the seven main economies of advanced countries, but it is also the place where infinite stories intertwine before the eyes of the world. Like the story of the dress of the President of Kenya, a story that starts a couple of years ago from Martina Franca, province of Taranto, then goes to the other side of the world, to return to Puglia and receive praise in Fasano, because, in apparently, it can even happen that we are prophets in our own country.
The political summit that took place in Borgo Egnazia in recent days and put Puglia under the spotlight, continues to provide stories like this, where excellent Puglians found a light that illuminated a work done daily, even if not always told. This is the case of Giuseppe Ancona, a 41-year-old designer from Martina Franca, who created the dress of President William Rutho.
From Puglia to Kenya, but how? With a style that he defines as «Mediterranean aristocratic», Giuseppe Ancona highlights the Italian style according to ancient sartorial techniques. Always involved in the production of top-level garments, today he represents Italian craftsmanship by dressing Presidents, Princes and Sheikhs. And thanks to an elite word of mouth he has come to dress the greats of the world. Two years ago Giuseppe received a phone call from one of his loyal clients, a steel magnate: «The President of Kenya has seen your clothes, he is waiting for you». Thus was born the meeting between Giuseppe Ancona and William Rutho, who orders twenty new suits, all in Italian style, with a great preference for institutional blue.
On the occasion of the recent G7, the President of Kenya chose to wear one of Ancona’s suits, so with the “X” profile, the one most chosen by politicians to communicate, Rutho appears with a simple blue model with two buttons and side slits. «My grandfather started in 1932 – says Giuseppe – starting the family tradition, opening a small shop of entirely handmade ties in the heart of the city of Martina Franca. The sartorial vocation passed to my father Raffaele, who, expanding the technical background learned in the workshop, specialized in the artisanal creation of jackets and coats and in the mid-1960s inaugurated a real textile production laboratory». Giuseppe recounts his passion in detail, for him the best smell is that of wool ironed under the steam of the iron, which he defines as the “scent of tailoring”. After school, Giuseppe earned his pocket money by going to the company among labels and bags of coats. After studying at Polimoda in Florence, he joined Krizia’s entourage, shortly after taking on the role of area manager for Europe. After years of study and research, Giuseppe develops the methods and tools to create a new product: his shirt. «At 31 I felt ready to focus solely on my strengths. I had left a safe and well-paid job, my parents were worried. I took a risk but I believed in it – continues Giuseppe – so I started with my creations in the Italian style, tailor-made luxury, Bespoke”. A slow production, made of needle and thread, without sewing machines. In the era where models of inspiration often pass quickly, Giuseppe’s clients point to Mastroianni and Agnelli as examples of style icons.
«Over time this profession has been lost a bit – explains Giuseppe – and there hasn’t been a generational change. Today in the world there are few tailors like ours. Our vision is to bring local craftsmanship to where it remains authentic but becomes exotic.”
And so it is that during the G7 in Borgo Egnazia, the President of Kenya wore a dress created by the hands of a dreamer from Martina Franca, and to those who asked him where he got that well-made dress, he replied: «A only 20 km from here.”
